(Friday, October 6, 2006)
Following is the speech JON BON JOVI gave from the podium at the press event. in
North Philadelphia on October 5, 2006 announcing the partnership to rebuild row
homes. ** Please keep in mind, this is not a transcript; they may be slight
variations in how the speech was actually delivered in a live setting to an
audience** JON BON JOVI Speech
OCTOBER 5, 2006
PHILADELPHIA, PA
PRESS CONFERENCE to ANNOUNCE:
- Creation of THE PHILADELPHIA SOUL CHARITABLE FOUNDATION
- Partnership of JBJ, SOUL, HABITAT FOR HUMANITY, SATURN and PROJECT H.O.M.E.
- Announcement of JON BON JOVI TO BECOME HABITAT FOR HUMANITY AMBASSADOR
THANK YOU,
… SISTER MARY SCULLION
… JOAN DAWSON McCONNON
… JONATHAN RECKFORD
… JILL LAJDZIAK
… ALI WINKLER
And, of course, PRESIDENT CLINTON…

Thank you all for coming.
Why we are all here today?
In 2003 I became the co-owner of the Arena Football League’s PHILADELPHIA SOUL
(along with my partner, Craig Spencer.) From the inception of our franchise, the
mission was to use the team as a way to give back to the community. Each season
our directive to the staff has been to find the LOCAL CAUSES, the Father
Flanagan’s, if you will… help us find the ones who fell through the cracks.
Nothing was too big and no one was too small. Our desire was simply to help
those in need.

PLEASE UNDERSTAND, our team is not making money – and any money we do make, we
give away. But I’m very proud to say that as we head into our fourth season, we
have been able to give away more than 2 MILLION DOLLARS to local causes in the
name of BON JOVI and THE PHILADELPHIA SOUL. We may have started small but we
thought big. Whether it was a playground for the Northern Home for Children,
beds for Covenant House, or starting a helpline for kids… the Soul were always
there. Today we’re proud to announce the creation of the Philadelphia Soul
Foundation – the natural extension of the team’s philanthropic work.

In the last year and a half, the Soul and I -- along with the band -- have
become very involved with Habitat for Humanity. Between Houma, Louisiana and
here in Philadelphia, we will have given 34 families a place they could call
home.

I spend a lot of time here in Philadelphia. One night while I was looking out of
my hotel window I saw a homeless man sleeping in front of City Hall.
I wanted to help him.
I wanted to fix that.
I realize the homeless problem is immense. And I realize that no one has all the
answers. I needed help. That’s how I came to meet SISTER MARY SCULLION and
PROJECT H.O.M.E.

It was Sister Mary who educated me about the need to provide not only shelter to
the homeless but education and job training – it was all about breaking the
cycle. Sister Mary opened my eyes and taught me to look at all the problems that
combine together to form the bigger issue that is homelessness.

For example – job training -- you can’t even get a job working as a cashier at
the local superstore without basic computer skills. Agencies like Project
H.O.M.E. provide that job training that can take someone from a minimum wage job
to just a $10.00 per hour job. And if you don’t think that sounds like much of a
difference – think again. $5.00 per hour… $40.00 per day… $200.00 per week…
That’s the difference in the quality and quantity of food you are able to feed
your children. That’s the difference in being able to pay the electric bill or
the phone bill – Because heat, electricity and phone service are not luxuries –
they are basic necessities.

Habitat for Humanity’s work speaks for itself – you’ve seen it. In the wake of
Hurricane Katrina and the Tsunami, for example, Habitat was there – rebuilding
lives. And that’s just in response to disaster. In Habitat’s 30 year history,
they’ve built more than 200,000 homes… and dreams, by offering families a chance
to be first-time homeowners. The program’s successes are undeniable. But if
you’re eligible for a Habitat home, you’re already in the top echelon of
homelessness. What about those who can’t think about making rent or even having
a warm place to sleep at night? That is where Project H.O.M.E. shines. By
offering job training, education and social services, Project H.O.M.E. empowers
individuals to break the cycle of homelessness. They can put them on the path to
home ownership.

How do we bridge the purpose of Habitat with the PROMISE of Project H.O.M.E. ?
Well, this is why we’re here. What you see behind us is a new beginning. For the
first time, Habitat For Humanity has partnered with a local provider. Together
with support from our partners at SATURN, we are reconstructing these 15 row
homes. This will be the new model. Here we have local service providers, Habitat
for Humanity, and corporate America all working together to rebuild communities.
It is my sincere desire to see these people BECOME their community. They become
the homeowners and business owners and investors in their own future, reshaping
their own neighborhood. We can’t let neighborhood become a thing of the past. We
need to remember what neighborhood is about.

The Arena Football League is about ACCESSIBILITY and AFFORDABILITY and is PLAYED
FOR AND BY PEOPLE WHO HAVE A DREAM.
That is what the SOUL is about.
That’s what this partnership is about.
We want to invite you to join our team.
The greatest social good is assisting individuals to take responsibility for
themselves.
Together we can make a difference.
One soul at a time.
Thank you.